The novel “The Cloud Walker” by Edmund Cooper was published for the first time in 1973.
Kieron is lucky to be the apprentice of the great painter Hobart, who loves him as if he were his own son. Kieron could focus on developing his artistic talents to secure a comfortable life. However, his dream is to fly, a very dangerous thought because the Luddite Church burns anyone who builds a machine.
Despite the danger of being accused of heresy, Kieron is determined to build a flying machine and discusses it with his fiancée Petrina and other people. His project could cost him his life simply by talking about it, but it could also be his only hope for survival for his community.
“The Cloud Walker” develops the story of a post-apocalyptic community, which was already a classic when Edmund Cooper wrote this novel. In this novel, the trauma of a nuclear war has brought the Luddite Church to power. Old elements of Christianity have mixed with the cult of Ned Ludd, which strictly condemns the construction of any kind of machine.
In Great Britain, which has returned to rigid feudalism, Kieron is decidedly out of the ordinary. His talents are tied to a dream, and this represents a serious danger for him. Since childhood, his dream has been to fly, even though the clergy is very clear about the laws against machines.
In some ways, Kieron’s story may recall that of Edgar Pangborn’s Davy. The setting is similar, but the two protagonists are decidedly different. Davy is an ordinary person who is curious about the world. Kieron is extraordinary because he has remarkable talents that would have allowed him to become a great artist had he not decided to build a flying machine at all costs.
The story spans several years, recounting various stages in Kieron’s life and his determination to defy any danger to achieve flight. The first part of the novel is also a coming-of-age story about Kieron’s maturation in a time and place where his aspirations may cost him his life.
As an apprentice to the artist Hobart, Kieron’s life is better than that of most people in his community, from a strictly material point of view. On the other hand, there are several references to his parents and other ordinary people aging, a significantly premature aging compared to what we are used to, which gives us a sense of the harsh life of those people in that society.
In that setting, Kieron develops his dream of using technology, but Edmund Cooper’s science fiction remains deeply humanistic. The novel is developed through deep human relationships between Kieron and his parents, Petrina, Hobart, and others with whom he develops various types of relationships.
“The Cloud Walker” offers some hope for the future of humanity. Edmund Cooper displays a cautious optimism in the story of Kieron and his dream, which transcends the obscurantism of the Luddite Church. The novel’s message, with the protagonist always keeping his eyes turned to the sky, and its development are what, in my opinion, make it worth reading. You can find it on Amazon USA, UK, and Canada.
